Slide 1.

Chapter 1
The nature of business, social, scientific and
management research and the structure of
the book(Handout).

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.2

By the end of this chapter you

will be able
• Be able to outline the purpose and distinct focus of
management research;
• Be able to place your research project on a basic-applied
research continuum according to its purpose and context;
• Understand the stages you will need to complete (and
revisit)as part of your research process;
• Have an interview of this book’s purpose and structure;

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.3

Introduction to the research process

Things to consider

• Realities and pitfalls of research

• Approaches, strategies and methods

• Techniques and procedures for data collection and

analysis

• Appropriate use of information technology

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.4

Terminology

Methods -

The techniques and procedures used to obtain data

Methodology -

The theory of how research should be undertaken

Saunders et al. (2009)

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.5

Some ways in which the term

“research” is used wrongly
• Just collecting facts or information with no
clear purpose;
• Reassembling and reordering facts or
information without interpretation
• As a term to get your product or idea
noticed and respected.

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.6

The nature of research

Definition:

‘Something that people undertake in order to find things out

in a systematic way, thereby increasing their knowledge’
Saunders et al. (2009)

Characteristics:

• Data are collected systematically

• Data are interpreted systematically

• There is a clear purpose to find things out

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.7

What does it suggest “systemically” and to

“to find out things”

• “systematic” suggests that research is based

on logical relationships and not just
beliefs.
“to find out things” suggests there are a
multiplicity of possible purposes of your
research. These may include describing,
explaining, understanding, criticizing,
and analyzing.
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.8

Features of business and management

research (1)

• Managers draw on knowledge from other disciplines

• Managers are more likely to allow access if they see

commercial or personal advantage

• Managers now tend to be as educated as the researchers

• Managers require research to have some practical

consequence

Easterby-Smith et al. (2008)

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.9

Features of business and management

research (1)
Key debates

• Knowledge production –
(Modes 1 and 2 knowledge)

• The ‘relevance gap’

• ‘Evidence based’ management

• Basic and applied research

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.10

Mode one
Mode one knowledge creation emphasizes
research in which the questions are set and
solved by the academic interests,
emphasizing a fundamental rather than
applied nature, where there is little if any
focus on utilization of the research by
practitioners.

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.11

Mode two
• Mode two emphasizes a context for research
governed by the world of practice, highlights of
collaboration both with and between practitioners.
• Based upon this it has been argued that
research within the mode two offers a way of
bringing the supply side of knowledge represented
by universities together with the demand sides
represented by the business.

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.12

Features of business and management

research (2)
Basic and applied research

Sources:
authors’ experience; Easterby-Smith et al. (2008); Hedrick et al. (1993)
Figure 1.1 Basic and applied research
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.13

The research process (1)

Stages of the research process

• Formulating and clarifying a topic

• Reviewing the literature

• Designing the research

• Collecting data

• Analysing data

• Writing up
Based on Figure 1.2: Saunders et al. (2009)
Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.14

The research process (2)

Factors to consider

• The impact of your personal feelings and beliefs

• Access to data

• Time and other resources

• Validity and reliability of the data

• Ethical issues

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009
Slide 1.15

And finally……..

“there is no one best way for

undertaking all research”

Saunders et al. (2009)

Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, Research Methods for Business Students, 5th Edition, © Mark Saunders, Philip Lewis and Adrian Thornhill 2009